


I Need Noise

by alex_caligari



Series: All of Me, All of You [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dom/sub, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Whipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-23 17:03:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15610896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_caligari/pseuds/alex_caligari
Summary: “What the...” Lance trailed off as he saw what Keith was looking at.One of the Amazons stood next to a straw-filled sack mounted on a pole. She chalked something before shaking it out to its full length.It was a bullwhip.





	I Need Noise

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Blood in the Cut" by K.Flay.
> 
> This is a standalone story set after Collar and doesn't reference any specific canon events other than Matt being on the ship.

The women were huge. Towering, statuesque warriors wandered the streets with their hair braided into crowns and weapons strapped to their backs. Lance couldn’t stop staring.

“I think you’re actually drooling,” Hunk said.

“Give me a break.” Lance waved towards an open-air training area. “It’s like a whole city of Wonder Womans! Wonder Women. Pidge, what’s the plural of Wonder Woman?”

“Amazons,” she said. She was also watching the training area.

“Thank you,” said Lance. “Who wouldn’t be impressed with a literal lost city of Amazons? No one, that’s who.”

“It wasn’t really lost,” Hunk said. “Just isolated from the rest of the continent. And I’m not denying they’re cool, because, really, have you seen their armour? Top-notch leatherwork. I’m saying maybe you should talk to your sub before running off with one.”

Lance glanced around. “Where is he, anyway?”

Pidge pointed. “Where any sub would be. At the training area.”

Lance caught sight of Keith’s dark hair as a stab of  _arousal, want, need_  shot through the bond. “What the...” He trailed off as he saw what Keith was staring at.

One of the Amazons—the Preletzkis, Lance remembered—stood next to a straw-filled sack mounted on a pole. She chalked something before shaking it out to its full length.

It was a bullwhip. 

“ _Jesus_ _quiznak_ _on a cracker,_ ” Lance rasped out. 

“Yeah, we should go down there,” Hunk said, ever the voice of reason. “Pidge, you mature enough for this?” 

“I’m sorry, is the unbonded sub too precious to see a whip?” she simpered. 

“That’s a no, then. Never mind, I wouldn’t be able to stop you anyway. Come on, you two.” Hunk pulled an unresistant Lance and an academically interested Pidge down the slope to stop at the fence bordering the training area. 

If Lance was fascinated by the warriors before, now he was entranced. The one with the whip was tall and slender with a mass of dark hair pulled into a tail down her back. Her clothing was casual and showed off the muscle definition in her calves and shoulders. She flicked the whip a few times before hauling back and snapping it at the cloth sack. A red streak of chalk appeared in the dead centre. She cracked the whip four more times, each streak overlapping the others. 

It was like watching an etiquette demonstration back home. Lance glanced at the others and saw they were also fixated on the woman. No one could resist appreciating good technique.  

Off to his right stood Keith. He hadn’t noticed them yet. 

“Guys,” Lance said. “I’m going to talk to Keith. You’ll be all right?” 

“You think they would show me how they make the whips?” Hunk said dreamily. 

“Yeah, you’ll be fine.” Lance left them and slipped around to Keith’s side. He gave the bond a nudge to warn Keith of his presence before stepping into Keith’s space. Lance had learned the hard way not to sneak up on him. “Like what you see?” he asked. 

Keith looked at him, then away. The warrior was prepping another whip. “I think...I’m not sure.” 

Lance put an arm around Keith’s waist. “The bond says otherwise.” 

A huff of breath. “Maybe. But.” He met Lance’s gaze. “You don’t like whips.” 

Lance hummed. “I don’t really enjoy using them, no. And I’m not interested in that kind of sharp pain.” He leaned in close. “But no one said you couldn’t be.” 

Keith’s breath caught. “You’d let...someone else...to me?” 

“That’s what negotiations are for, babe.” A quick peck on the cheek. “Think about it. We’re here for a few days, so no rush.” 

Keith nodded. “I’ll let you know.” 

Lance couldn’t quell the thrill of anticipation that twitched over his skin. Some Doms and subs didn’t share at all, and some lived like they were demoing all the time with new partners. Lance hadn’t quite figured out where he landed, but he knew he was protective of Keith. He half-expected pangs of jealousy to cloud his judgement. Instead, he felt excited and proud. He wanted his sub to experience everything he desired, and if that meant looking elsewhere for something Lance was unable to give, so be it. Lance had mentioned showing Keith off when they first acknowledged the bond. Someone seeing how amazing Keith was and how much he experienced the moment was still a fantasy Lance had. 

Lance shivered. 

Keith noticed, of course, along with the sparks racing through the bond. He shot a grin at Lance. “Maybe I’m not the only one thinking about it.” 

The crack of the whip distracted them, and they leaned into each other as they watched the warrior expertly wield it. 

&&& 

“You want to what?” 

Keith resisted the urge to smack his hand into his face. An entire day of discussing it with others—Shiro, Allura, the city diplomats, the military leaders—to clear this one event and they were still running into roadblocks. For the first time, Keith wished he was back on Earth where people just  _understood_  these things. 

Luckily, Lance loved explaining it in that disarming way of his. “He wants to be whipped for pleasure.” 

The warrior, Elleikin, blinked at them. “Why?” 

The three of them were sitting at a table in her room in the barracks. The Preletzkis averaged eight feet tall and the warriors more so. All of Elleikin’s furniture was this side of too big for the humans. Keith’s feet swung in the air. 

“It’s a human thing,” Lance said. “We like either creating difficult sensations or receiving them. We tend to pair up like that.” He gestured to his cuff and Keith’s collar, worn specifically for this meeting. 

Elleikin cocked her head. “You all are like this?” 

“Pretty much.” Lance grinned. “A whole species of kinky fucks.” 

Truth be told, this was one of the easier encounters they had. On the good days, no one cared enough to ask, but on the bad days...Keith would never forget the time someone threatened an alliance because the planet’s people thought Keith was a  _slave_. 

“We have safety precautions,” Keith added. “Etiquette. Conditions. Ways to keep things from getting out of control.” 

Elleikin relaxed fractionally. She was the one they saw training yesterday and was reportedly the best whip artist the regiment had. That she had marked the cloth sack without tearing it to ribbons spoke to her control. Now, her mouth was set in a hard line, but at least she no longer wore a look of bewilderment. “I will need to hear these conditions.” 

“Excellent,” Lance said. “That’s how we do it, too. Keith, you want to take over, or you want me to negotiate for you?” 

Keith thought it over. Whatever Lance agreed to, he would make sure Keith didn’t get hurt. If anything, Lance could be too cautious in their scenes, and Keith would have to snap at him for more. “Go for it.” 

Lance beamed at him and turned to Elleikin. “See that show of trust? That’s why I love this boy. Okay, here are our limits.” 

Keith sat patiently as Lance explained safewords and headspaces and what exactly Keith was aiming to get out of it. Elleikin also listened closely, sometimes asking a question to clarify. She approached it more like a training exercise than a challenge, a good indicator she was taking all this seriously. 

“...no scarring, and no sexual contact.” Lance hesitated. “Right?” he asked Keith. 

Scening with other people was one thing, but for Keith, sex was an intimacy to be earned. It touched him that Lance trusted him so much to even consider sex with others. Keith knew deep in his gut that if he wanted it, Lance would give it to him. He smiled at his Dom. “That’s still all yours.” 

The softening of the bond let Keith know how much Lance appreciated that. “Then I think that covers it.” 

Elleikin gave them a hard look. “And you are both consenting to this?” 

They nodded. 

“Sometimes partners agree to something only to discover they do not wish it to happen at all.” 

“Don’t worry about us,” Lance said. He tapped his temple. “If Keith is in distress and can’t vocalize it, I can intervene. Of course, it works the other way around, too; I’ll know how much he’s enjoying it.” 

It had been with no small amount of apprehension Keith explained to Lance that he wanted to do this alone, without the distraction of Lance. Lance agreed on the condition he stay in a room down the hall. 

Elleikin meet Keith’s gaze. Something in his face must have reassured her. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” Keith said even as his pulse sped up.  _It was happening._  

“You both appear confident in what you desire. The indoor arena is empty and shut for the night. We will have privacy there.” 

“Okay, okay, yes, thank you.” Lance looked torn between excitement and nerves. “Right. I’ll help get you guys set up and then...leave you to it.” 

Keith reached under the table and squeezed Lance’s hand. “It’ll be fine. Maybe even fun.” 

Elleikin snorted, then tried to turn it into a cough. 

She led the way to the arena. It was smaller than the outdoor ring and lit by yellow lanterns. It was cosy, save for the rack of weapons along one wall. Elleikin walked over and started sorting and discarding the whips. “Do what you need to prepare yourself,” she said over her shoulder. “Time is not short.” 

Lance wiped his palms on his pants and breathed harshly through his teeth. He faced Keith with wide eyes. 

“Hey, it’s fine.” Keith grabbed Lance’s hands and placed them around his neck, an echo of a gesture used long ago to help calm Keith down. “Trust me?” 

Lance squeezed lightly to feel the soft leather collar. “I trust you.” 

“Then help me get ready to be whipped by a frigging giantess.” 

The glint in Lance’s eye turned mischievous as his hands tightened. His thumb pressed into Keith’s adam’s apple just a little, enough to kick-start the adrenaline. Keith immediately went pliant. Lance kissed him and breathed air into him. When he pulled back, he said, “All of you and all of me, but tonight you’re hers.” They both turned to see Elleikin watching them. She had selected a whip and was warming up her shoulders. “Look at how thoroughly she’s getting ready for you,” Lance said. “We’ve all put a lot of effort into setting this up for you. Don’t you feel special?” 

“Yes,” Keith managed. He was sliding away from himself. All the concerns and problems and diplomatic issues Paladin Keith had to worry about were fading into background noise. Still there, but they could be dealt with later. Sub Keith had very little to worry about. 

“I’m so glad I get to show you off, even if it’s to one person.” Lance’s hand left the collar and tangled into Keith’s hair. “You’re going to do so well for her, and she’ll make you feel so good. No hiding, pet. I want her to see you, to hear you. Got it?” 

“No hiding.” Keith’s voice was already a wreck. 

“That means no barriers.” Lance stepped back. “Strip. Keep the collar.” 

Keith did as instructed, vaguely aware of Lance waving Elleikin over. She stood behind Keith and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and chest, pulling him close. Her soft tunic was warm on his bare skin. The word  _acclimate_  floated through his head. 

“He’s all yours,” Lance said. “Have fun with him.” He gave a jaunty wave, then left, closing the door behind him. 

Keith tilted his head back to look at Elleikin. “It’ll be fine.” 

She smiled. “Shouldn’t I be telling you that? Come on, little one. Stand over here.” 

“Little. I like that.” He faced the wall and braced his arms against it. 

“Your partner suggested I start with five stripes,” she said. Keith heard the loose  _wh_ _ap_  of the whip on the floor. “And make you count them.” 

Keith had time enough to wonder if five was too much or too few when the first stroke fell. Everything whited out. 

&&& 

Lance lay on the bed in an empty room staring at the ceiling. He opened the bond as wide as possible to catch any hint of discomfort Keith might feel. He still wasn’t entirely sure about this. If Elleikin had been a human Domme with ten years of demo and scene experience, he  _still_  would have hesitated. He had nearly lost his sub so often before. Trusting him in someone else’s hands felt like a step too far. 

But Keith had talked it out with him yesterday evening, and Lance agreed. Unless— _until_ —they went back to Earth, knowledgeable subs and Doms would be a rarity. Only Shiro and Matt were around and it felt...weird to ask them. Elleikin, despite not being a Domme or a switch, still had that emotional distance Lance felt safe with. She could control herself. 

Keith’s side of the bond was hazy with mist, an indicator of his headspace. So far, so good. 

Then his world cracked open. The moment the whip landed, the bond filled with a flash of pain followed by a goddamn tsunami of heat and want and release. “Well,” Lance croaked, “guess he likes it.” 

By the third strike, Lance was hard. By the fifth, he was shaking.  _Why did I say only five?_  It had been a quiet suggestion to Elleikin, along with the counting, to give her a base of how to start. He had no idea the effect it would have on Keith. 

He was hovering on the brink of giving in and jerking off when there was another wave of endorphin-induced heat. No pain came through, only bright bursts as strike after strike fell. No wonder people got addicted to this. Lance had to narrow the bond to keep from losing his mind.  

Through it all, Keith was bright and yearning. 

Eventually, everything quieted down, and Lance could breathe again. He was wrung out and couldn’t imagine what Keith felt like. A knock at the door had him stumbling up to open it. Elleikin stood with Keith in her arms, delicately holding him across his shoulders instead of his back. She had wrapped him in a soft blanket, and he blinked at Lance like he’d gone twelve rounds with Zarkon. 

“His legs were shaking,” Elleikin explained. She laid Keith on the bed and stroked his flank through the blanket. Lance wondered at her innate sense of aftercare before realizing warriors would also require gentleness. She shook her head. “He took fifteen strokes and still asked for more.” Her expression was part exasperation and part admiration. “Your species does not understand when to stop.” 

Lance sat beside her. “We sometimes need others to recognize our limits for us.” He met her gaze. “Thank you for this. It’s probably the strangest request you got—” 

“It isn’t.” 

 _That_  set Lance’s curiosity on fire. She smiled as he stuttered to a halt. He shook his head to regain focus. “Nevertheless,” he continued, “this would be pretty out there for most people. But you took care of him.” Lance ran his hand through Keith’s hair, who was still recovering his voice and muttered in contentment. 

“You are both happy then?” Elleikin asked. 

“Of course.” Lance grinned. “Look at him. He’s beautiful. Keith, darling, how do you feel?” 

It took a few tries for Keith to speak. “Effervescent.” 

“That’s a big word for someone in the middle of sub drop. I’ll be right back, okay? Then I’ll take care of you.” 

He walked Elleikin to the door. “Are you okay?” he asked her. Even Doms needed aftercare. 

She regarded Keith, who was curled up on the bed bearing wounds she dealt him. “I have met many species and most are puzzling in some way. I would not have done this deed if it was with any other motivation than joy and pleasure for the recipient. If you and he are pleased with the result, then I am pleased to have performed it. It is an honour to be trusted in such a manner.” She turned her attention to Lance. “If you would like to train with the whip for this purpose, I would be happy to be your mentor.” 

Lance tamped down his knee-jerk reaction of  _hell, no_  and thought about it. He liked bondage and puzzles. It removed him and Keith from the high-stakes action they faced as Voltron. They had experimented with makeshift floggers and paddles, but it didn’t give the same cathartic results other scenes did. Things like knife-play and needle-play were right out, as Lance couldn’t stand the thought of lifting a weapon to hurt Keith. Whips fell into that category for him.  

“Thanks. It’s an amazing offer, but no. I couldn’t do that even if he asked me to.” Lance shrugged. “But, if he wants it again in the future, maybe we can call you?” 

Elleikin grinned for the first time since he met her. Her teeth were pointed. “Anytime, little paladin. I found it a rather cleansing experience myself.” She bid them goodnight and left Lance wondering what he had unleashed on the city. 

He grabbed a jar of lotion from under the washbasin and sat beside Keith. “Hey, buddy, how’re you doing? Ready to come back?” 

Keith moved beneath the blanket, hissing as he stretched the marks on his back. “If I have to.” 

“There he is. I’m going to put stuff on your back, all right?” Lance lifted the blanket, and while the sight of the red welts had his stomach clenching, he had to admire Elleikin’s technique. Not a single stroke had broken the skin, and all were across his upper back, overlapping neatly. They’d fade within a week. “Fifteen stripes, huh?” Lance said as he rubbed the healing cream into Keith’s skin. “Elleikin said you asked for more.” 

Keith’s muscles bunched and relaxed under Lance’s hands. “It felt like fire when she first hit me, and then it felt like  _I_  was on fire. Everything became about breathing and nothing else. I was empty and present and...” 

“Clean.” 

“Yeah.” Keith sighed. “There was literally nothing I could do wrong. Nothing was asked of me except to stand there and breathe. It already felt like so much, so what was the worst that could happen? I wanted to stay in that space forever.” 

Lance paused in kneading Keith’s lower back. “Do you want it more often?” 

Reaching around, Keith squeezed Lance’s leg. “It was super intense and draining. I don’t think I could handle it more often.” He shifted his head to smile at Lance. “Besides, you still get me there with your annoying puzzles and games. The whip was just a shortcut.” 

“Good,” Lance said. “Although, it was super hot feeling you have all these endorphin explosions. I thought I would come from the bond alone.” 

Keith snorted, then stilled. “Are you—do you want—” 

“Keith, babe, I love you and I am incredibly turned on, but I’m going to make an executive decision and say you’re in no fit shape for sex right now. You might actually melt from adrenaline. You need rest.” 

Keith grumbled into the pillow. “I need you to be okay as well. And I know what that means for you.” 

Lance dropped his forehead to Keith’s shoulder and groaned. It was true. Sex and orgasm were ways Lance had of resetting himself and marking the end of any Dom headspace. Plus, he hadn’t quite lost his hard-on and massaging Keith was not helping matters. “Fine. But we do it my way. Can you sit up?” 

Limbs sluggish and unwieldy, Keith pushed himself to face Lance as directed. Lance then shucked his clothes and sat with his back against Keith’s chest. He draped Keith’s arms over him. “Just hold me, like that.” It felt so soft and safe, a complete reversal from the whipping earlier. Keith ran his hands over Lance’s chest and stomach as Lance dropped his hand to his cock and started jerking off. 

Lance couldn’t help his smile as he considered the situation. They had gone from a hard-core kink scene to lazy masturbation in ten minutes. He loved the kink stuff, of course. It was in his nature, but he also loved these quiet, intimate moments. Keith kissing and nibbling along his neck was as sexy as any blindfold. “Beautiful pet,” he muttered. “Love seeing you so happy.” 

“It was good,” Keith said. “This is better.” He bit the muscle of Lance’s shoulder and pinched his nipples, and Lance whined as he came, held upright by Keith’s arms around him. 

He cleaned up as Keith flopped around on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to lie in. “I can think of one major drawback to getting your back whipped into over-stimulation and tenderness,” he grumbled. 

“Sleep on your stomach, then.” Lance crawled in beside him. The bed would have been considered king-sized back home. He stretched out to revel in the luxury.  

“Then I can’t breathe.” Another full rotation led to Keith still facing Lance with a petulant frown. 

Lance giggled at him. “Maybe Elleikin won’t be so interested in the kink life if she knew how whiny subs could be.” 

“I’m not whiny. It’s an actual problem right now—” 

Lance quieted him with a kiss. “I know, love. You went through an intense experience and came out of it intact. I’m proud of you.” 

That mollified Keith somewhat, although he tried not to show it. “I think I’m good for scenes for a while.” 

“Same here.” Lance pulled Keith to lay across his chest. “Hey, do you think we should find the kinky people on every planet we go to?” 

Keith groaned. “We’d be exhausted. And probably thrown out of the castleship by Allura.” He was nearly asleep already. “Besides, I only need this kinky fuck right here.” 

Lance laughed as he rested his hand on Keith’s collar. “Yeah, me too.” 


End file.
